The Stuff Our Kids Teach Us

The other day I was tossing up the closet when one of my girls came up from behind me in surprise.

“Mama, what are you doing?”

You bet I jumped. “Hey sweetie.”

“What are you doing,” she asked with her head cocked to one side.

Now this is the baby of the family, the kid where hubs and I finally got it right, hence a bit sheltered, so when she asks me what I’m doing when it’s rather obvious I’m nosing through her dad’s junk she really is asking out of innocence. This is opposed to her older, more street savvy siblings whose likely responses would’ve been, “Mom, whatcha’ doin’ creeping through dad’s things again,” accompanied with a wink and a smile implying I owe them one.

“No, no honey. Don’t worry about me. I’m almost done. Go play with your sister.”

But as she walked out of the room, just for good measure, I added, “Hey, but don’t tell Daddy I was in his things okay?’

…and that was my mistake, because judging by the expression on her face if she didn’t get it earlier she sure was beginning to now.

As she crossed her arms across her chest and raised her eyebrows she asked with some hesitation, “Mommy, is that what all wives do?”

“What?”

“Sneak through their husbands things? Is that what I’m supposed to do when I have a husband?”

Now the odd thing about that moment was the manner in which she posed the question, still innocent, curious but with an added hint of suspicion. As if she understood generally speaking we’re not supposed to go through other people’s things but she needed clarification as to whether that same rule applied to husbands and wives. And seriously I know it does, but I just wasn’t counting on a 10 year old to slam me with that kind of self reflection so early in the morning.

Of course I stopped what I was doing and explained to her that no she should not snoop through her husband’s things, as I shouldn’t have been and even though some wives still do. I think she got it. I hope she did.

And yes, I told my husband what happened, more for the laugh than to out myself. *Big fat sigh* Oh, the things our kids teach us.